Posts tagged as “Specs”

Comedy Spec Script 2015 – What is hot and what is not

UPDATED:
A brand new 2019 list has been posted.
Click here to access it.

Like every year, it is now time to review which TV shows are good to spec, and which are not.
Dedicated posts will be made respectively for the best comedies (half-hour) and the best dramas (one-hour).
As the title says, this post is all about the comedies.
In addition, you’ll also find (when available) a script for the corresponding show for educational purposes only.
Canceled or dead shows have been removed since last season’s spec list.

NOTE:
Given Warner Bros’ new rules for their fellowship, I have indicated with an asterisk (*) series that they will not accept specs for (mainly first-season series).

Here is a quick recap of how the list works:
The shows are divided into five categories regarding their appeal to readers and how well they are known/read:
– Over-specced (shows that have passed their prime, try to avoid doing them)
– Mainstream (shows that have matured enough that they have become on-the-nose speccers–and a lot of people are speccing them)
– Wild Cards (soon, everyone will spec those, maybe you can get a head start)
– Outsiders (specs that will get you out from the pack)
– Gamblers (risky shows that could pay off, or bomb)

There is also a grade regarding the show’s longevity in relation to its speccability.
Meaning, how long can you keep your spec script fresh without having to throw it in the trash?
To do this, we will use the greatest grading system on Earth; stars:
★★★★★ – Excellent
★★★★★ – Very Good
★★★★★ – Average
★★★★★ – Fair
★★★★★ – Poor

Let’s get started.

Over-Specced

Re-tool your spec if you have one, but you probably shouldn’t bother beginning a new one for these shows.

Archer (FX)
Too popular as a spec for its own good.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – All these changes, man!

The Big Bang Theory/Mike & Molly/Two Broke Girls (CBS)
[Insert laughs.] Longevity: ★★★★★ – They could run forever, but not your spec script.

Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
Not as widespread as others, but it is replaced as the animation spec by fresher fares.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – It’s already renewed, but you’ll be in competition.

Community (Yahoo) *
Really?
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Next step: “and a movie”.

Cougar Town/The Middle (TBS/ABC) *
Little shows that could, and did.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Won’t be long now.

House of Lies/Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Once upon a time, when half-hour dramedies weren’t that well represented, they would have been your best choice. They climbed lists and put writers in fellowships.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – One is about to end, the other is in its rhythm.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)
The Gang Picks Another Show.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Rewatch that one-shot episode.

The League (FXX)
It was a good off-beat choice. Not so much now. Especially since…
Longevity: ★★★★★ – …the last season is upon us.

Louie (FX)
Are you really going to compete with Louis C.K.?
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Who knows where the wind will take him.

Modern Family (ABC)
Reliably funny, but picking a show deep in its sixth season isn’t the greatest of ideas.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Will run forever. They’ll renew it every generation.

New Girl (FOX)
People’s must-spec relationship show for the longest time. Has lost its shine in that respect.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Coach! :(

Veep (HBO)
It would be a very strong choice, only if everyone else around didn’t think so last season.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – New President, new tempo.

Mainstream

The current and new widespread shows in town that are getting read.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
Good track record and in its second season. Pretty much everyone’s pick for a strong workplace single-cam to spec. It gets laughs and is the more popular successor of Parks & Rec.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Not quite the bestest of ratings, but it already got renewed.

Girls (HBO)
The go-to “not too funny but still half-hour comedy” show out there. Living its last year of mainstream.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Eh.

The Mindy Project (FOX)
Another aging show that is most likely in its last not-over-specced season. Get it while it’s hot.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Strong formula, albeit with some shifts this past year.

Mom (CBS)
The strongest multi-cam in these necks, bar-none.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Renewed.

Silicon Valley (HBO)
Brooklyn is to network what Valley is to cable. A confident, funny comedy in a very unique world.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Not going anywhere.

Wild Cards

Not quite fully widespread but will get there given the chance.

Black-ish/Fresh Off the Boat (ABC) *
Hilarious new comedies injecting some life into the network. Most likely will be mainstream by next year.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Trending upwards.

Broad City/Workaholics (Comedy Central)
A bit of a gamble, but their success is growing.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – You never know with Comedy Central.

The Goldbergs (ABC)
Who doesn’t love the 80s?
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Wobblier legs now that the network has found more successful family comedies.

The Last Man on Earth (FOX) *
Not your usual network sitcom, which could also mean it’s a great future pick. Or fall apart in a hot second.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Watch out for the curveball thrown every other episode.

Married/You’re the Worst (FX/FXX)
Edgy and definitely on the verge of becoming very popular (more so than any other FX comedies).
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Fresh renewals and potentially stronger second seasons.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) *
It’s brand new and getting a lot of traction very quickly. Definitely will become a popular spec sooner than later.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Free reign until the new season is released.

Outsiders

The shows (mostly cable) you may be tempted to take a risk on, getting you on top of the reading pile. Beyond that, it depends on the willingness of the reader and his/her knowledge of the show. Who knows, maybe the showrunner is into less popular shows and will value your risk-taking.

Episodes (Showtime)
Caution. Meta humor can be dangerous.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – A season or two left.

Man Seeking Woman (FXX) *
A bit of an oddball. Not a pick for the faint of heart.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – And not the greatest numbers.

Bojack Horseman/Rick & Morty (Netflix/Adult Swim) *
Hard to compete with what’s on screen. Their success off screen will make them more popular as specs to write than legitimate contenders.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – A lock for the next couple of years.

Gamblers

For one reason or another, these are much riskier specs to do right now. You have been warned.

Childrens’ Hospital/NTSF:SD:SUV (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim) *
A new season, and an absent friend.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – On the verge of disappearing forever.

Cristela (ABC) *
Not quite the same popularity as its other new ABC counterparts.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Risky pick.

The Exes (TV Land) *
Weird choice. Then again…
Longevity: ★★★★★ – …the network doesn’t have any alternatives.

2015 Trends

Rough. How one should categorize this past year for comedies.
As predicted, few new series of the previous season survived their freshman year. Networks are desperately trying to freshen up their schedules–unsuccessfully so. A gap in mainstream specs was therefore created: a record-low five series are vying for the spot.
This year’s comedy spec list is almost entirely made of veteran shows or babies, making good shows to spec rarer. We saw the departure of popular shows New Girl and Veep into over-spec territory, with Mindy and Girls standing ground. Mom and The Exes are also the only multi-cam still in play. It doesn’t bode well for the format.
On the bright side, the arrival of successful new comedies, mainly Netflix’s Bojack Horseman/Kimmy Schmidt and ABC’s fresh slate of single-cams, gives hope for the future of specs. Expect a wider variety and more mature choices next year.

Also check out:
TV Writing Fellowships: The Bix Six

Drama Spec Script list

Profiles of Television: Kiyong Kim – TV Writing Fellow

Profiles of Television is an ongoing interview series showcasing the variety of professionals in the TV industry, from writers and producers, to those in development, representation, and post-production. These are the many talents involved in television, and the personal journeys behind them.

Today’s guest is Kiyong Kim. A multi-talented comedy writer, he had the opportunity of working through two amazing fellowships (Nickelodeon and NBC’s Writers on the Verge) as well as currently participating in the CAAM mentorship program.
Let’s see what he has to say.

The Medium

First things first: why the television calling?
Originally, I wanted to write features. I had a writing teacher who suggested I try writing for TV, which I had no interest in until The Office came out. It was different, and I felt like I really got that show and the sense of humor. There was a sadness to the show that I really liked.
Around the same time, someone I knew got into the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship. Until then, I didn’t know these fellowship programs even existed. I saw that as an entryway into television that didn’t really exist for features, and I thought I should try.

Three words to describe what you write.
Comedy without heart? Though I’m trying to add some to the pilot I’m working on now.

Three words to describe how you write.
Structured, because I like outlines. Slow, with pilots. And then—what is one word to describe when you’re on the verge of quitting? Whatever that word would be is the third word. Despair?

Name—
—the television series that has influenced you the most:
The Simpsons for the sense of humor. I’ve been watching it from the beginning and I still see the latest episodes, even in season 20-something. It influenced a lot of people. What it did really well was make good use of the medium of animation, unlike something like King of the Hill which could have basically been live-action.
And again, The Office as the show for making me actually want to write for TV.

—the one episode of television that defines you:
I don’t know if it defines me, but I thought about it a lot, and that Red Wedding episode of Game of Thrones was something else. I saw those YouTube videos of people freaking out while watching that one crazy scene at the end. People started crying, screaming, and throwing things at the TV. Seriously, people don’t react like that when people die in real life. It was a great reminder at how much impact a story can have.

—the television episode that impressed you the most:
Recently, the season finale of Silicon Valley was pretty amazing. Before that, the ‘Chaos Theory’ episode of Community.

—the show you wish was still on the air:
I liked Happy Endings. I was disappointed it got cancelled.

—the show you would never publicly admit to watching, except right now:
SpongeBob Squarepants.

—the show you wish you had worked on:
Friends. It’s still funny. I watch reruns now and it holds up. So many shows since then have tried to recapture that. Each character was so distinct and likeable.

The Journey

What has been, so far, your journey in the television industry?
I did web design for years and years despite never wanting to do web design. On nights and weekends, I was making short films and was thinking of writing and directing a feature soon. Around that time someone I knew entered the Nickelodeon Fellowship.
I had meant to write a spec for a while, so I wrote one for The Office. I made it to the finalist round but didn’t get in that year. The next, I tried again, and got in.
I learned a lot at Nickelodeon but didn’t get staffed. The following year, I got into the NBC Writers on the Verge program, which was about four months long. Again, noting happened. I had to go back to doing design.
This year, I got into the CAAM Fellowship, where they assign mentors individually to each of the fellow. I was lucky enough to get the person I wanted, Kourtney Kang (How I Met Your Mother). She’s helping me with my pilot and it’s been great.

What is the hardest thing about being a television writing fellow?
There’s a lot of pressure since you feel like you’re so close. Both times I felt like it was my chance, but nothing happened. Of course, there are never any guarantees in the industry, even for people already staffed or repped. Their shows get canceled or they don’t get asked back. That’s just the nature of the business.
At some point, I had to seriously ask myself—Is that something I can live with forever? Is the uncertainty something I can accept? Because if not, I should just quit now and save myself the aggravation. Since I’m a masochist, I’m still going.

What is the easiest thing about being a television writing fellow?
There’s nothing easy. There are lots of really short deadlines, trying to impress the right people, trying to push yourself, or being good in the room. Luckily, all the other writers were supportive of each other. Everyone was extremely talented, and generous.

What is the biggest takeaway from your experience in the fellowships?
For Nickelodeon, it was how much the non-writing stuff matters. Presentation, pitching yourself, egos, the politics of things, and even how luck is involved.
For NBC, the biggest takeaway was that I need to speak up more in the room.

Can you talk about the CAAM mentorship process?
It’s been about a month since Kourtney and I started. When we met up, I pitched her two pilot ideas, and she liked one of them, so that’s the one I’m working on. I fleshed out the story, figured out the characters, and am ready to start outlining.
Having someone with so much experience give notes is incredible, especially in the early stages when you’re trying to figure out the conceptual stuff of how the show will work. I’m very grateful for this opportunity.

What is your day-to-day like?
I have my full-time day job. 40-50 hours a week, fairly regular. So then I have to write on nights and weekends, which is difficult. But I do remind myself that even on a show, I’d have to work on my own projects nights and weekends. Luckily, I also have my writing group, which meets every other week right now. That’s been a life-saver—receiving notes, pitching ideas, all the free therapy.

Who do you look up to in the television industry?
I love Greg Daniels. The Office, Parks & Recreation. He also did animation with King of the Hill and The Simpsons. That’s a pretty ridiculous resume.

What is the ideal job you would like to ultimately have?
Running my own show, which is probably what everybody wants. Or just writing for a good show with people you can get along with. Can’t really ask for more than that.

When people from outside the industry ask what you do, what do you tell them?
Currently, I probably don’t mention that I write, just the web design since that’s how I pay the bills.

What is your best professional advice to someone who wants to do what you do?
Well, I don’t feel qualified to give “professional” advice because I’m not a professional writer. I got into a couple fellowships, but I’m not staffed or even repped.
However, what I’m personally trying to do is to have solid writing samples, and meet people who will read my writing. Between writing and networking, I’d probably give more priority to the writing. A sub par writing sample read by the right people isn’t really going to help you.

What is your best personal advice to someone who wants to do what you do?
Give up now. [laughs] Why would you do this to yourself unless you had to? There are so many other, easier ways to make money. When I took the Nick Fellowship, it was huge pay-cut for me. Logically it made no sense. No sane person would do this. If there’s anything else you want to do, do that instead. If you’re cursed like me where you have to write, then prepare to be in it for the long haul.

What is your next step?
I’m finishing this pilot, and hopefully Kourtney will like it. Ideally, the pilot will lead to me getting representation, and then hopefully staffed.
After that, I’ve been wanting to try some sci-fi, either as a low-budget feature to direct, or as a pilot script. I also want to try to pitch an animated show at Nick, Disney and Cartoon Network. I met people while I was at the Nick Fellowship, and I went to art school for illustration, so I think animation would be something I’d be good at.

Any last words?
Don’t make excuses. Don’t blame your lack of success on others. Get feedback from others; it’s hard to be objective about your own work. Be prolific. Finish things.

—

Many thanks to the wickedly talented Kiyong Kim!

You can follow him on his personal blog of creative pursuits, where he chronicles his own television journey. He is also on Twitter.

Drama Spec Script 2014 – What is hot and what is not

UPDATED:
A brand new 2019 list has been posted.
Click here to access it.

Like every year, it is now time to review which TV shows are good to spec, and which are not.
Dedicated posts will be made respectively for the best comedies (half-hour) and the best dramas (one-hour).
As the title says, this post is all about the dramas.
In addition, you’ll also find (when available) a script for the corresponding show for educational purposes.
Canceled or dead shows have been removed since last season’s spec list.

NOTE:
Given Warner Bros’ rules for their fellowship, I have indicated with an asterisk (*) series that they will not accept specs for (mainly first-season shows).

Let’s do another quick recap of how the list works:
The shows are divided into five categories regarding their appeal to readers and how well they are known/read:
– Over-specced (shows that have passed their prime, try to avoid doing them)
– Mainstream (shows that have matured enough that they have become on-the-nose speccers–and a lot of people are speccing them)
– Wild Cards (soon, everyone will spec those, maybe you can get a head start)
– Outsiders (specs that will get you out from the pack)
– Gamblers (risky shows that could pay off, or bomb)

And here we go.